Although often overshadowed by their neighbouring headlands, the cliffs between Mewsford Point and The Castle offer a number of interesting propositions for those who climb in the mid to high grades. Blockhouse Buttress forms one such cliff and is home to a number of enjoyable multi-pitch climbs which reach some 60 metres in height. The routes are fun and steep with excellent rock on the lower pitches, which slightly declines in quality higher up the cliff. The buttress can be identified by a large landward slanting slab at its base and it is from this slab that most climbs begin. The base of the cliff, which is tidal in nature and only exposed at mid to low tide, can only be reached via abseil, making climbing here quite a serious affair.

Although Blockhouse Buttress perhaps lacks the three star quality of the area’s other crags, it’s not without its charm. The climbing here is quiet and secluded, the surroundings exude both drama and elegance, and the positions alternate seamlessly between enjoyable and exciting. Furthermore, the crag is never busy, making it an ideal objective for those sunny weekends and bank holidays when it seems that South Wales’ entire climbing community has decided to descend upon the Castlemartin Range.

Rock Climbing

The climbing at Blockhouse Buttress is affected by the tide, the degree of which can depend on the time of year and weather. The start of the routes can be reached by abseiling onto the large landward slanting slab at the base of the crag.

Climbs are listed from left to right, and are graded and rated with the aid of the Climbers Club Guide to Pembroke and the Pembroke Supplement, so for full descriptions, please refer to those books. Technical grades are generally only given to climbs graded adjectivally as Hard Severe (HS) or above.

The view east
(Photo by Nanuls)

Blockhouse Buttress
(Photo by Nanuls)

The Castle
(Photo by Nanuls)

Routes are rated using the British Adjectival Grading System. With the exception of Tenby South Beach Quarry, bolting is strictly prohibited everywhere in Pembrokeshire, so don’t even think about it here. A conversion table of international climbing grades by SP member Corax is available HERE!

Route Symbols:

	A so-so route, neither good nor bad. Not unpleasant unless otherwise stated.
	A good route which is definitely worth a climb.
	A very good route, one of the best on the crag and well worthy of attention.
	An excellent route, one of the best in the area, and probably in Britain too.

	No Restrictions Used to indicate that there are currently no restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route.
	Restrictions Used to indicate that there are restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route. See the Red Tape and Access Section for more details.

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade
1.	Roland Rabbit	40m	1	E1	5b
2.	The Old Grey Whistle Test	30m	1	E3	6a
3.	Poolside Beauty	49m	2	HVS	5a, 5a
4.	Bloodline	24m	1	E3	5c
5.	Sensory Game	43m	2	VS	4c, 4c
6.	Medulla	24m	1	E4/5	6a
7.	Notion Specific	23m	1	E3	5c
8.	Touch and Go	23m	1	E3	5c
9.	Amnesia	27m	2	HVS	5b
10.	Mind Games	24m	1	HVS	5a
11.	Memory Lane	27m	1	S	4a
12.	Emery Wall	27m	1	S	4a
13.	Viva	40m	1	HVS	5a
14.	Cavalier	40m	2	E1	4b, 5b
15.	Vectra	43m	2	E1/2	4b, 5b
16.	Launch Party	37m	2	HS	4c
17.	Long Distance Trucker	46m	2	S	4a
18.	Across the Universe	49m	2	E2	5a, 5b
19.	Sedator	30m	1	E3	5c
20.	Starstruck	37m	2	HVS	4c, 5a
21.	Into the '90s	24m	1	HS	4b
22.	Heavy Haulage	52m	2	HVS	5a, 4b
23.	Keep on Trucking	52m	2	HVS	4c, 4b
24.	Mother Trucker	46m	2	HVS	5a
25.	Trucker's Delight	46m	2	VS	4b
26.	Sheer Delight	46m	2	HS	4a, 4b
27.	Unreasonable Stipulations	46m	1	VS	4c
28.	Sensory Stimulation	46m	1	E3	5c
29.	Eye Spy	49m	2	VS	4c
30.	Jolly Silly Billy Arête	43m	1	HVS	5b
31.	Mother Carey	40m	1	VS	4b
32.	Cannonball Express	40m	1	HVS	5a
33.	Bird	43m	2	VS	4a
34.	Chopping Block	43m	1	VS	4c
35.	The Splinter	49m	2	E2	4c, 5a

Blockhouse Buttress
(Photo by Nanuls)

Weather Conditions and Tides

Weather Forecast

This section displays the weather forecast for Bosherston, which is located just to the east of Blockhouse Buttress. This gives a pretty good indication of what the weather will be like on the crag, as both Bosherston and the Blockhouse Buttress area sit at around sea level.

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar | Hurricane Center

Tide Times

Tide times can have a significant impact on where and when one climbs. It is therefore extremely important to check the timetables before embarking on trip to the area. UK tides information for all standard and secondary ports is provided by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), and displayed on the BBC's website. The link below provides a link to the nearest port to Blockhouse Buttress:

Stackpole Quay (SR 992 957)

The view west
(Photo by Nanuls)

The view east
(Photo by Nanuls)

Blockhouse Buttress
(Photo by Nanuls)

When to Climb and Essential Gear

The most reliable conditions are in the summer, but the low altitude of the crag may make it a viable option in winter. The gear needed depends entirely on the routes you plan to do. Easier routes will only require a moderate rack, while harder routes will require a something more comprehensive; a good compliment of friends or other camming devices will certainly help. A singe 50 metre rope should serve well on most easy routes, however, twin or double ropes would be a wise choice for the harder stuff. In addition to your usual gear, you might want to bring along an abseil rope to speed up access to the base of the crag.

Getting There

When approaching from Carmarthen (SN 405 196) take the A40 Truck Road signposted for Saint Clears (SN 274 160). At the Saint Clears roundabout, take the A477 Trunk Road towards Pembroke Dock (SM 969 036). Before reaching Pembroke Dock, turn left onto the A4075 (SN 019 027) to Pembroke (SM 989 012). In Pembroke, drive straight over the first small roundabout you reach and drive along the A4139 a few hundred metres and turn left and take the B4319 south towards Castlemartin (SR 915 983). Around 2.5km after Saint Petrox (SR 971 975), take a left hand turn (SR 965 964) signposting Bosherston (SR 965 9470). Drive through Bosherston (or stop for a cup of tea at Mrs Weston's Olde Worlde Café) to the Saint Govan's Car Park (SR 966 930).

The Castle (Photo by Nanuls)

From the car park, walk south to a small guard house and turn right (west), cross the stile at the guard house, and walk along a gravel road passing Stennis Ford and Huntsman's Leap and the Devil’s Barn. Follow the track and cross a fence at a cattle grid. Soon the buildings and masts near The Castle will come into view (SR 955 933), keep these to your left and carry on towards a second fence. Blockhouse Buttress is the cliff where this fence meets coastline above a large landward slanting slab (SR 951 936).

Red Tape and Access

A warning sign (Photo by Nanuls)

Blockhouse Buttress is located in the Range East portion of the Castlemartin Range. This area is an Army firing range, although they do not use exploding ammunition. Access is permitted whenever firing is not taking place, which is normally on Weekends, Bank Holidays, and in the evenings (after 4.30). The night firing normally occurs on alternate Mon/Wed and Tues/Thurs nights. The Range is sometimes open during the week, but it is best to check before travelling. Phone the 24 hour help line on (01646) 662367.

It should be noted that Pembroke nesting restrictions are complex and vary annually. Please check the notice boards in Stack Rocks or St Govan’s car parks for more information. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority also produce an excellent annual information leaflet illustrating the restricted areas on a clear map - download it from this LINK.

It is also available from the BMC, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Mrs Weston’s Café in Bosherston.

Camping and Accommodation

There’s an almost unlimited supply of accommodation within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so it would be inappropriate to list it all here. For budget accommodation it’s worth checking out some of the following sites:

Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Independent Hostel Guide
Campsites in Pembrokeshire

For everything else and more see Visit Pembrokeshire’s website.

Maps

Open Space Web-Map builder Code

Navigation Maps

OS 1:25k Explorer Series OL 36 South Pembrokeshire/De Sir Benfro

OS 1:50k Landranger Series 158 Tenby & Pembroke / Dinbych-y-pysgod & Penfro

Road Maps

OS Road Map 6 Wales/Cymru & West Midlands

Guidebooks

	Pembrokeshire Coast: The Official National Park Guide by Alf Alderson, John Cleare and Ian Mercer. A handy book full of useful information and interesting facts about the National Park.
	Climbers Guides to Wales: Pembroke Volume 3 Range East - Stack Rocks to Hollow Caves Bay by Gary Gibson A beautiful, colourful and superbly presented ‘next-generation’ guidebook to this particular part of Range East.
	Climbers Club Guides to Wales: Pembroke by John Harwood, Dave Viggers et al. An extremely comprehensive two volume guidebook to the area which describes most of the routes on the crag.
	Climbers Club Pembroke Supplement by Dave Viggers A little book containing updates to the Climbers Club Guide and costs around a fiver.
	Rock Fax Guide: Pembroke by Alan James and Mike Robertson Not quite as comprehensive as the Climbers Club guides, but lavishly illustrated with tons of large photo diagrams and topos.

External Links

Blockhouse Buttress (Photo by Nanuls)

Government Bodies and Other Organisations

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
Council for National Parks
Association of National Park Authorities
Pembrokeshire County Council
Carmarthenshire County Council
Ceredigion County Council
Countryside Council for Wales
Forestry Commission Wales
Environment Agency
CADW
Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments in Wales
Dyfed Archaeological Trust
The National Trust
Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Outdoor Organisations and Companies

British Mountaineering Council
Pembrokeshire Climbing Club
Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group
South Wales Mountaineering Club
The Climbers Club
UKClimbing

Weather

Weather from the Met Office
BBC Weather
Weather Channel UK

Tide Tables

BBC Tide Tables
UK Hydrographic Office

Tourist Information

Visit Wales
Visit Pembrokeshire
South West Wales Tourism Partnership
Local Information from Pembrokeshire Pages
Local Information from Pembrokeshire Online

Travel Information

Welsh Public Transport Information
Uk Train Timetable

Accommodation

Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Independent Hostel Guide
Campsites in Pembrokeshire

Maps and Guidebooks

Ordnance Survey
Cicerone Guidebooks
Climbers Club Guidebooks
Rockfax Guidebooks
Mid Wales Climbing
Cordee Travel and Adventure Sports Bookshop

Wildlife and Conservation

Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre
South West Wales Wildlife Trust
Sea Trust
Pembrokeshire Bird Group

Welsh Language

Welsh Language Board
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg Welsh language pressure group
Cymuned Welsh language pressure group
Yr Urdd (Welsh Youth Association)
Welsh-English / English-Welsh online translator
Welsh-English / English-Welsh Online Dictionary
Welsh-English / English-Welsh Online Lexicon

Images



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"In this short span between my fingertips and the smooth edge and these tense feet cramped to a crystal ledge, I hold the life of a man." --G.W. Young